Quito & Galapagos Islands Cruise

Destination: Quito & the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Weekly Departures: Saturday & Sunday (Cruise departs Mondays)
Booking Deadline: October 31th, 2012!

Always a unique experience, the Galapagos Islands are simply at their best aboard one of the best deluxe expedition ships in the region, the M/V Galapagos Legend.

See firsthand why Quito was the first city UNESCO declared a World Cultural Heritage. From its historical 'Old Town', to the Equatorial monument, surrounded by volcanoes and sheltered by a deep blue sky.

Explore the varied marine life, flora & fauna, of the Galapagos Islands each day with a certified naturalist guide each day, and return to the comfort of your cabin.

Whether it's one from the bucket list or the annual family getaway, this is bound to be a memorable experience!

More info on this unique cruise opportunity

Crystal Cruises 2 for 1 Worldwide Fares

Booking a cruise early saves money - and you get the pick of your itineraries and cabins.

Crystal Cruises is running its two-for-one sale for 2013 itineraries. Right now, there’s plenty of availability, so whatever stateroom or voyage you want is yours.

2013 offers a diverse collection of cruises with 64 itineraries to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, Australia & New Zealand, the Pacific Coast, South America, Panama Canal, the Caribbean, New England & Canada and Trans-Ocean.

What You Get:

• 2-for-1 fares (with up to an additional $2000 off)
• All meals, including fine wine, premium spirits, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages 
• All gratuities

Book by June 30, 2012 and enjoy exclusive limited-time savings and value

For more information or to book, please visit Crystal Cruises, or call (888) 799-4625.

Holland American South American Fall 2012 Lineup

Holland America Line is offering exciting cruises to South America on ms Veendam, ms Maasdam and ms Prinsendam for the Fall Cruise Season of 2012.

Itineraries range from 13 - 68 days, plus cruisers can include a new 49-day extended, port-intensive Amazon and Carnival Voyage aboard Maasdam in early 2013.

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A 23-day Amazon Explorer Cruise in Nov. 2012 and a 68-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage in Jan. 2013 aboard Prinsendam are additional highlights of the line’s 2012-13 South America cruise schedule.

From Nov. 2012 to March 2013, the 1,350-guest Veendam will sail a series of six 13-day and one 17-day itinerary between Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sailings include multiple days cruising the fjords of Chile, calls at locations such as Ushuaia, sailing around Cape Horn and a visit to the Magellan Strait, gateway to Antarctica.

Cruise fares begin at $1,399 per person, double occupancy, for the 13-day sailings, and $1,699 for the 17-day voyages.

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In addition to Veendam’s series of cruises, two non-repeating itineraries also are available throughout the season:

14- or 18-day South America cruise departing Boston, Mass.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile, Oct. 20 and 24, 2012, respectively
18- or 21-day South America cruise departing Valparaiso to Fort Lauderdale or Boston, April 13, 2013

These itineraries include a full transit of the Panama Canal in addition to extended port calls at Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama, and Callao (Lima), Peru.

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Veendam also sails a 21-day South America and Antarctica Explorer Holiday cruise departing Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso Dec. 20, 2012, and a 20-day South America and Antarctica Explorer cruise departing Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, Jan.10, 2013. A 21-day South America and Antarctica Explorer cruise returns from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso on Jan.30, 2013. All voyages include scenic cruising throughout the spectacular Antarctic Peninsula and an overnight call at Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires.

Cruise fares begin at $1,699 per person, double occupancy, for the 14- and 18-day sailings; $2,099 for the 18- and 21-day sailings departing Valparaiso; and $3,799 for the 20-day Antarctica sailing.

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Aboard Maasdam, guests will sail one unique 49-day Amazon and Carnival Explorer Voyage sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 18, 2013.

Guests will spend 49 days exploring 25 ports throughout all three of the “ABC Islands” — Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao — Barbados, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, crossing the equator twice during the voyage.  Extended calls at seven ports  — Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Buenos Aires, Callao (Lima), Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil allow extra time ashore.

Shorter segments of Maasdam’s Amazon and Carnival Explorer Voyage are available for guests with less time. The 23-day segment departs Fort Lauderdale for Rio de Janeiro Jan. 18, 2013, and a 26-day segment departs Rio de Janeiro for Fort Lauderdale Feb. 10, 2013 that includes cruising down the Amazon River and crossing the equator. The 26-day itinerary also includes a two-night call at Rio de Janeiro where guests can experience exciting Carnival.

Cruise fares begin at $7,999 per person, double occupancy, for the full 49-day Amazon and Carnival Explorer Voyage; $2,999 per person for the 23-day Amazon and Carnival Explorer Voyage and $5,199 for the 26-day segment.

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Departing Jan. 5, 2013, Prinsendam sails south once again on a 68-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. During the voyage, Prinsendam will circumnavigate the continent and spend seven full days cruising the Amazon River and four days of scenic cruising in Antarctica. Overnight calls include Callao, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus. Shorter segments are available.

Cruise fares begin at $12,999 per person, double occupancy, for the 68-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage.

Selection of Featured Tours Include:

Iguazu Falls: Natural Wonder of the World
This tour enables guests to see the Iguazu Falls, located at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Guests will ride a train to Devil's Throat (a cliff at Iguazu Falls) and take a guided walk to view the falls.

Cuzco & Machu Picchu Overland Adventure
Fascinating excursion includes a sightseeing drive through colonial Cuzco to see the main square and cathedral, followed by a Vistadome train ride along the Urubamba River and a coach ride to Machu Picchu — the Lost City of the Incas — at an elevation of 7,874 feet.

Patagonian Experience
Otway Sound & Penguin Reserve — During this adventure, guests will take a motor coach ride across unpaved roads and farms bordering Otway Bay for views of the Pinto Range. The tour also allows guests to get up close and personal with thousands of Magellan penguins near their caves and nesting areas.

Drive to Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego encompasses the city of Ushuaia, Cape Horn, the Magellan Strait and is a gateway to Antarctica. This national park was created to protect the southern portion of the sub-Antarctic forest. Today it provides visitors the opportunity to enjoy the Andes and the region’s forests, rivers, lakes and is home to a wide variety of birds. A short stop at Lapataia Bay, the southernmost place that can be reached by road, also is included in this tour.

For more information, visit www.hollandamerica.com

Crystal Raises Rates On 19 Cruises, Releases Booking Deadlines

Early booking specials can save couples as much as $4,600 off Crystal’s 2013 World Cruise.

Crystal Cruises raised rates from $200-$1,000 per couple on 19 cruises for 2012 and 2013.

Current Book Now fares, announced on March 1, expire on April 30 and June 30 for 2012 and 2013 voyages.

The line’s Book Now promotion provides travelers with a two-month window for the lowest rates on every worldwide cruise aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. Every 60 days Crystal is reviewing its pricing on each cruise.

Since the Book Now pricing program was launched in Sept. 2011, Crystal has raised fares with each booking deadline. Additional price increases are expected on April 30 for 2012 cruises and June 30 for 2013 voyages.

Traveling the world, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will visit 182 ports-of-call in 59 countries on 60 itineraries worldwide in 2012, 64 voyage options, visiting 226 ports and 62 countries in 2013.

Destination choices include: Western and eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Cape, western Europe, Greek Isles, Baltic & Russia, China, Japan, southeast Asia, Australia, South Pacific, South America, New England/Canada, Panama Canal, British Isles, Canary Islands and Mexican Riviera on itineraries of seven to 98 days.

For more information, visit www.crystalcruises.com

Source: TravelAgentCentral

Carnival Cruise Line 2013 South America, Panama Canal Voyages

Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced several exciting itineraries for the 2013, including voyages to South America and the Panama Canal.

Next spring, the company will reposition Carnival Miracle to the West Coast following a special Panama Canal voyage, and bring Carnival Splendor to New York, following three spectacular South America cruises.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle will shift to the West Coast in spring 2013 to operate the line’s Alaska and Hawaii cruises, currently offered on the Carnival Spirit, which is being repositioned to Australia to operate the line’s first cruises from that country.

Carnival Miracle will also operate a seasonal Mexican Riviera program featuring the seven-day itinerary currently available on Carnival Splendor.

In turn, the 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor will reposition to New York to assume Carnival Miracle’s year-round eight-day Caribbean schedule beginning in March 2013, representing a capacity increase of 41 percent with this newer vessel. Before making its Big Apple debut, Carnival Splendor will offer three, 13- to 18-day South America voyages from February to March 2013.

The repositioning of these two ships has provided an opportunity to offer a number of exciting voyages to South America and the Panama Canal.

Carnival Splendor will offer three South America voyages in February and March 2013.
A 17-day “South America Explorer” cruise will depart Long Beach on Feb. 3 and at arrive Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, Feb. 20, 2013, visiting Cabo San Lucas and Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Quito (Manta), Ecuador, where guests can embark on an excursion to the Galapagos; Lima (Callao), Peru, offering an opportunity to visit Machu Picchu; and Arica, Chile.

A 13-day “Fjords, Glaciers & Patagonia” voyage will operate from Santiago (Valparaiso) to Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Feb. 20 to March 5, 2013, calling at Puerto Montt, Chile, before cruising the Chilean Fjords and Darwin Channel. This itinerary is followed by calls at Punta Arenas, Chile; Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay.

An 18-day “Brazilian & Caribbean Splendor” voyage sailing from Buenos Aires to New York March 5-23, 2013, will feature ports that include Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza, Brazil; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos.

Carnival Miracle will operate a 15-day Panama Canal cruise from New York to Long Beach from March 16-31, 2013, positioning the vessel for its year-round West Coast deployment. In addition to the experience of transiting the Panama Canal, the cruise will visit beautiful and historic destinations in five different countries, including Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands; Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

www.carnival.com